Napkin-holder.



No. 663,874. Patented Dec. l8, |900..

J. w. ENSLEY.

NAPKIN HOLDER. (Application filed Jan. 20, 1900.)

(No Model.)

m: Norms perv, 50.. wno'mumu. WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED S'rn a'rnr trio's.

JOSEPH WILBUR ENSLEY, OF TRINWAY, OHIO.

NAPKlN- HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,874, dated December 18, 1900.

Application filed January 20, 1900. $eria1 No. 2,152. \No model.)

2'0 (0% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH WILBUR ENs- LEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trinway, in'theoounty of Muskingum and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Napkin-Holder, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to napkin holders, and has for its object to produce a holder which will be convenient and easy to manu facture; and it consists in the improved construction and novel combination of the parts of the same, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in each of the views in which they occur, Figure l is a plan view of my improved napkin-holder in position for use, the napkin being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the front plate. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the back plate, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the hook.

Referring more particularly to the drawings. l and 2 indicate the front and back plates, respectively, of my improved holder, which are preferably stamped from thin sheets of any desired metal and may be of any desired configuration, that shown in the drawings being very neat and ornamental. These plates are hinged together near their lower ends by means of a rod 3, the ends of which pass through loops or staples 4, suitably secured in position upon the plates. Coiled upon the rod between said loops is a wire spring 5, the central portion of which is extended to form a handle 6, which bears against the rear face of the front plate 1, and the ends bear against the front faceof the rear plate or preferably pass through holes '7 therein.

Secured to the lower portion of the back plate by means of a loop 8 is a hook 9. This book is preferably formed substantially U- shaped with its central portion tightly secured within the loop and having each of its ends provided with a sharpened prong 10, which is folded or doubled upon the main portion, as shown in Fig. 4:, to form a hook by means of which the holder is secured to the garment of the wearer. By making the hook of substantially the same length as the width of the holder it will be virtually concealed by the holder when in position.

In using my improved holder it is grasped between the thumb and fingers of one hand below the rod 3, the thumb pressing against the projection or thumb-piece 11 at the bottom of the front plate, which will cause the upper part of the plate to be swung away from the rear plate a sufficient distance for the insertion of the napkin between the plates. The upper portion of the front plate is preferably curved to the rear, and the side pieces thereof are joined together by a crosspiece 12, which may be straight, as shown in Fig. 2, or it may be curved to correspond with the curvature of the cross-piece 13 of the rear plate, which will hold the napkin in -a smooth position after the corner orsides of the napkin has been inserted betweenthe plates. After the holder has been thus secured to the napkin it may be fastened to any part of the clothing by simply hooking the sharpened prongs 10 into the garment. If desired, the holder may be permanently secured to the napkin, as it can be secured to and removed from the clothing without disengaging the napkin.

WVhile I have shown a desirable form in which my invention may be embodied, still I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction shown, but reserve to myself the right to make such changes and alterations as will come within the scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a napkin-holder, the combination, with a base-plate, the sides of which are provided near their lower ends with staples and the' lower end is provided with a transverse loop, of a clamping-plate, the sides of which are provided with staples to register with the staples of the base and the lower end is extended to form a thumb-piece and the upper ends of the sides are curved to the rear and joined With a cross-bar, a rod through the staples, a I ends of which extend up under the sides of coiled spring upon the rod, the ends of which the base and are bent and sharpened, subengage with the base and the central portion stantially as described.

is doubled upon itself and extended from the JOSEPH WILBUR ENSLEY. rod and engages with the clamping-plate at Witnesses:

the thumb piece, and a substantially U- i BEVERLY A. MOOONNELL,

shaped hook through the loop on the base, the HOWARD J. SIEGRIST. 

